The MTA Advantage is published three times a year as
a supplement to MTA Today by MTA Benefits, Inc.

If you follow “The Old Farmer’s Almanac,” you may already know that
snowier than normal conditions are predicted from the Great Lakes to the
Northeast. The almanac is red-flagging Jan. 20-23, Feb. 4-7, Feb. 16-19,
March 1-3 and March 20-23 along the Atlantic Seaboard for some heavy
precipitation. This is great news for outdoor winter sports enthusiasts, but it’s
not so welcome to those of us who stay indoors to keep warm. If you heat
your home with oil, you’ll want to make sure you have a reliable supplier
that will be there for you in the event that something happens to your oil
tank during a storm. This is a good time to check out Heat USA, MTAB’s
home heating oil program provider for more than 20 years. We heard
recently from a member who joined the program — and is glad she did.

“I moved to a new house and was inundated with solicitations from local oil suppliers. Each had a ‘special’
offer for new customers, but I was skeptical about the
savings being short-lived. I decided to contact Heat
USA and was impressed from the first phone call.

I learned specifically how Heat USA’s pricing works,
who my dealer would be and when I should expect
to be contacted by the supplier. The oil company
customer service staff was similarly efficient in setting
up my account. An appointment was scheduled for a
checkup of my tank. The deliveryman couldn’t have
been more pleasant and explained everything I should
look out for in the event of a snowstorm. Afterward,
my Heat USA rep followed up, as he said he would,
to make sure I was satisfied with the supplier and
the service provided during the visit. You bet I was!

I really felt comfortable knowing that I had Heat USA
watching out for me.”

— Elizabeth B., first-time Heat USA memberWhen MTA Benefits launched its first interest-free shopping program in May 2014, it was animmediate hit with members. The program provided members with the ability to purchase large-ticket items with payment over time through automaticdeductions from a checking account without incurring interest. MTAB was notified in April 2017 that the provider of the shopping program was ceasingoperations. In the months that followed, we scoured the market for providers of similar programs. In August, a new program was launched through Zebit.

Interest-free shopping is back!

Unexpected purchases

MTA members can once again peruse millions
of products through a convenient online
marketplace with interest-free credit called a
ZebitLine. The ZebitLine is credit granted to
eligible members to help with unexpected and
life-event purchases. You can shop, buy what
you want and pay over time, interest free, with
no hidden additional costs.

A range of productsThe Zebit marketplace has millions of productsin 15 categories including fitness equipment,

Simplified eligibility

An advantage of the Zebit program is that
there is no waiting period for eligibility and
there are no credit checks. Active and retired
MTA members may apply. Credit is based on
annual household income, which is subject to
verification by Zebit prior to approval.

Competitive pricing

Zebit’s prices are competitive with those of
retailers and lower than those offered through
similar programs. If you’re looking for the
biggest bargain, Zebit may not be for you.
Retail sales and special promotions can offer
lower prices. But when comparing costs, be
sure to include any interest you might be
paying on a credit card purchase when you
calculate the overall product price. If the
convenience of shopping at one website and
getting interest-free credit extended to you is
appealing, consider taking a look at Zebit.